We’ve been traveling more internationally lately. Call it a book tour. First it was Belgium and the Netherlands. Then it was Mexico and Costa Rica. We’re on the move … and working. My international mobile phone setup has been solid — a combination of GoSIM international roaming and Republic Wireless WiFi service. I’m starting to rethink my travel laptop though. I’ve got a Google Chromebook, the Acer C720. I really like it, […]

Travel involves risk. Where you travel impacts the level of risk you undertake. If you’re going to Peoria, you’re probably pretty safe. But what if you’re heading someplace not-so-safe? Yes, you might get hurt. You might get sick. You might miss your flight connection and end up on a bus to Shanghai instead of a comfortable flight. Those are all risks. But the biggest risk you face is probably theft. […]

Can you imagine Columbus sailing across the Atlantic, going months without Instagram and SMS only to find that instead of landing in India where he had purchase international data roaming, he ended up in America, a new damn country with cell phones operating on an entirely different frequency? Yeah, I bet it sucked. Don’t make the same mistakes as Columbus. Here are your best bets for ensuring your mobile phone […]

It’s time to refresh these posts. Lots of new computers and tablets have been released in the past few weeks and a bunch are worth mentioning. First, let’s talk restrictions. Last time there was a $500 limit. Let’s lower that to $400 and keep this interesting. Let’s also open it up beyond just laptops. Bring on the tablets and convertibles. Enough preamble, let’s get into the picks: Apple iPad Mini […]

We’ve got a trip to Europe on the horizon, and the preparations have begun. I’ve got our hotels starred on my Google Map. I’ve got those maps downloaded to my phone so I don’t need a data connection to navigate when we arrive. I’m starting to plan out what tech I’ll bring and what I’ll leave behind. Here’s what I’m thinking so far: Bring: Smartphone // Leave Behind: Data Plan […]

It’s tough to divorce yourself from your cell phone. It’s an all-knowing security blanket, and a lot of us would both like to use it while we travel and be entirely free of its interruptions while we travel. I can’t help you with the second one — you’ll have to figure out how to turn the thing off yourself — but I can help you with the first one — […]

Lisa and I love the site, JohnnyVagabond.com, but Wes and I have very different takes on travel tech. His setup would cost over $4,000 to replicate (he was fortunate enough to win a photography contest to help pay for it). Want to spend less? Keep reading: my dream setup costs $1,600 (or less) and keeps all the functionality I need. Here’s how they stack up. Computer: MacBook ($999 – $2,500) v. […]

**This post is out-of-date! Click to The Best Travel Laptop, Tablet, and Convertible, Holiday 2013 Edition.** One of the most-read posts on our site is about laptops. Travel laptops, specifically, and which one to buy. It’s about a year old, so here’s an update. Keep reading to see the top five travel laptops, 2013 edition. Criteria: Cost and Size The two big criteria for me are simple: cost and size. I […]

Upon hearing of our impending move to the Ithaca area, one of our college buddies shared a story from the New York Times about the decline of the college bar scene in places like Ithaca. According to the author, students aren’t drinking less, they’re just drinking at bars less (they’re drinking in their rooms, then going to bars to throw up, I guess). I’m sure it’s not relevant that the […]

**This post is out-of-date! Click to The Best Travel Laptop, Tablet, and Convertible, Holiday 2013 Edition.** For a while, I’ve been a cheerleader of the netbook as a travel computer. I like them because they’re small and relatively cheap and can be encrypted to protect your data and identity. Some people vote for a tablet like the iPad as their travel device of choice, but I think iPads are too […]